Pneumatic thread control system for looms



I Oct. i4, 1941. o. v. PAYNE 2,259,043

, PNEUMATIC THREAD CONTRL SYSTEM FOR LOOMS Filed April l5, 1940 l` INveN'roR OscAR V. FAv NE auf ATToRNEY Patented Oct. 14, 1941 i UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE PN EUMATHC THREADCONTRGL- SYSTEM FOR LOOMS Oscar V. Payne, Leicester, Mass., assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass.,a Vcorporation of Massachusetts Application April 15, 1940, Serial No. 329,715

5 Claims. (Cl. 139-257) This invention relates to improvements in systems for controlling the weft ends of outgoing and incoming bobbins at the time of transfer in a weft replenishing loom, and it is the general object of the invention to effect this control by-y means of a single pneumatic unity such as a fan for disposing of the threads of both of the bobbins.

Inbobbin changing looms it is necessary to maintain tension of the weft ends extending from the reserve bobbins and also dispose of the weft ends when their associated bobbins are transferred one at a time. Furthermore, it is also desirable to remove the weft end of the outgoing bobbin to prevent it from being draggedA into the? warp shed. It is an important object of my present invention to provide means for attracting the threads of the reserve bobbins into a thread holder by means of subatmospheric, pressures, together with other means for removing the thread of the outgoing bobbin by means of super-atmospheric pressures, both of the means being connected to a pump or fan which derives its air supply through the thread holder and projects the air against the weft of the outgoing? bobbin.

In carrying my invention into practical effect it is desirable to provide cutting mechanism for the thread of the outgoing bobbin near the shuttle eye, such as that shown in my prior Patent' No. 1,881,920, and itis also desirable to provide a temple cutter which cuts the thread at the selvage. In order to hold the thread for cutting by the temple cutter subsequent to transfer it is a further object of my-invention to provide means to catch the thread and hold it in cutting position as the thread is blown away from the path of the shuttle. Y

With these and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a portion of a weft replenishing loom showing my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is an end elevation taken in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1 on a reduced scale,

Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale,

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan View of the lay, shuttle, temple and thread placer looking generally in the direction of arrow 4, Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of the temple looking in the direction of arrow 5, Fig. 1, and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on line 6-6, Fig. 1,

.through the fan.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown a loom frame I0 and a lay L having a shuttle box II to receive theV shuttle S under a magazine M provided with .reserve bobbins B. Weft ends W extend from the bobbins and a transferrer arm I2 actuated in the usual manner causes insertion of the lowest reserve bobbin into4 the shuttle S. The magazine shown is of the multicolor type to provide two distinctive characters of weft and may beformed more particularly as shown in vage 22'of the cloth. This plate cooperates with a cutter blade 23 normally in forward position but projected rearwardly against the plate 2U at the time of transfer to sever the thread at a point close to the shuttle eye. The shuttle box II is formed in part by a rear wall 25 fastened to the lay andin part by a binder 26 between which and the front wall of the shuttle the weft 2 I extends.

The temple 2l is mounted in the usual manner on the breast beam and has a shank 28 slidableY forwardly in a guide 29 secured to the breast beam. A cutter blade 3| is pivoted to the temple as at 32 and has adepending foot 33 for engagement with the lay L when the latter is near its foremost, or front center position. The cutter has a rear hooked end 34 which cooperates with a blade 35 xed to the temple'to cut the thread. The action of the temple cutter is caused by the lay which, by engagement with the arm 33, first turns the cutter on axis 32 to lower the hook 34, after which the cutter slides forwardly relatively to the temple in the usual manner by reason of slot 3l. A spring 36 normally holds the cutter in raised rear position and yields to permit the described operation of the lay. Temple cutters are well known and of themselves form no part of my present invention. Any approved form of temple cutter may be used and that shown in Fig. 5 is for illustrative purposes only.

The matter thus far described is of usual construction and forms no part of my present invention other than to cooperate with parts to be described hereinafter.

In carrying my invention into effect I provide a pneumatic system for tensioning the weft ends 'W and removing the thread 2l from the path of the shuttle after it is cut at the plate 20. The weft ends W enter an intake mouth 4! of a reversely curved tube 4| shown in Figl and are led to a thread chamber 42 communicating with the interior of tube 4|. By means of spring clasps 43 and pins 44 the chamber 42 is held to a bell 45 from which extends a hollow preferably flexible tube 4S. A thread collector 4l shown more particularly in Fig. 3 is interposed between the chamber 42 and the bell 45 and has numerous perforations 48 which allow air to pass downwardly to the bell. This baille 41, however, prevents threads frozn passing into the bell and causes them to accumulate in a mass T to become entangled with and serve as anchorages for the weft ends W.

The tube 46 leads to a fan designated generally at 5G and comprising a easing 5| having an inlet port 52 over which the tube 4S is fitted. The opposite side of the casing 5| is provided with a bearing 53 through which extends a shaft 54 on which is mounted a fan 55 having a series of radial vanes 53 which may be generally of the form shown in Fig. 6. A fixed bearing 51 may be provided to afford further support for shaft 54. The casing has secured therein a pair of plates 53 and 6I which lie close to the rotating venes 555y to prevent appreciable escape of air from the pockets 62 defined by adjacent vanes and the plates Bil and 6|. The upper part of the casing is provided with an outlet port 65 which communicates with the pockets 62.-

Secured to the outlet 65 is a tube 10 which extends toward the center of the loom and is bent as indicated in Fig. l so that the lower end thereof has an outlet mouth 1|. The mouth 1I is located behind the lay above the shuttle race 'i2 as suggested in Figs 1 and 4, and faces forwardly. A strap 13 on the loom frame holds the tube l in xed position.

In order to hold the thread holder in fixed position I provide a stand 15 secured as at 'It to the chamber 42. This stand may be supported from the oor on which the loom rests and is so located as to place the intake mouth 40 in the position shown in Fig. 2 with respect to the magazine and beyond the end of the lay. The fan is supported by a pair of upright pipes 'VE which may also be supported by the oor in such position as to locate the fan behind the thread holder, as suggested in Fig. 2.

In the operation of the mechanism thus far described the shaft 54 is caused to rotate continuously during loom operation by means of a connection with the crank shaft I6. This shaft completes a revolution foreach night of the shuttle and carries a groove pulley 8| which receives a V-belt 82 trained around a, smaller V- pulley 83 fastened to shaft 54. The belt is flexible and can be twisted through a quarter turn, as suggested in Fig. 2. Rotation of the vanes G acts by centrifugal force to move the air in port 52 through the pockets 62 and out of port 65. The fan therefore creates sub-atmospheric pressures in the intake mouth 40 to draw air into the mouth and through the tube 4|, charnber 42, bell 45 to the interior of the fan, from which point the air is projected under superatmospheric pressures along the tube 'Hl to issue from the outlet mouth 1| in a forward direction.

I have shown a convenient form of fan but do not wish to be limited to the precise structure shown in Fig. 6. It is sufcient for the purposes of my invention if the fan draws its air supply into intake mouth 4S and projects it from outlet mouth 1|. The pump operates continuously to maintain constant tension on the weft ends W tending to draw them into the tube 4l and assisting in holding them entangled with the mass of weft threads T within the chamber 42. As the bobbins B descend incident to successive transfers any slack developed in their weft ends will be taken up by the pneumatic thread holder.

The constantly issuing stream of air from the outlet mouth 1| is directed across the shuttle race 'l2 and when the weft thread 2| is severed near the shuttle eye E, the weft end 2| will be blown forwardly ofi the race plate 12 and out of the path of the shuttle S which will be picked to the opposite side of the loom during rearward motion of the lay subsequent to the transferring operation.

The temple cutter is set slightly in front of t-he fell of the cloth so that it does not cut the thread 2| until several picks after a transferring beat of the loom. During the interval between transfer and cutting at the temple it is desirable to keep the weft end 2| in position for cooperation with the jaw 34 and plate 35. In or der to accomplish this result I provide a wire guide 98 secured as at 9| to the temple and having a rearwardly and upwardly projecting hook 92. Behind the hook and below it is a notch 93 to receive the thread. The rear part of the wire may be inclined downwardly and rearwardly as at 94. A small mouth 95 is located behind the hook and affords entry for the thread into the notch.

Reference to Fig. 4 will show the relation between the cloth selvage, the guide wire and the outlet mouth 'Il with respect to the thread 2|. The blast of air issuing from the outlet mouth 1I directs the thread 2l forwardly up the incline 94 and through the mouth S5 into the notch 93. The stream of air maintains a tension on the thread so that it is held taut from the selvage along a path lying in the zone of action of the temple cutter to the notch 93, from which point it is moved forwardly as indicated for instance in dotted lines Fig. 4. The guide wire therefore holds the thread in position for cutting which ordinarily will occur several picks after transfer. When a thread is finally cut at the temple the draft of air moves it bodily forwardly away from the lay.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a pneumatic thread control system including a fan which creates sub-atmospheric pressures to attract the threads of the reserve bobbins and creates super-atmospheric pressures to blow the weft ends 2| forwardly off the race plate l2. It will also be seen that the guide wire serves to position the thread 2| for cooperation with the temple cutter at a time subsequent to the transferring beat of the loom, the thread being held taut by the draft of air issuing from the outlet mouth ll. Furthermore, the guard wire and thread cutter are movable forwardly together to maintain the proper relation between the thread and cutter should the temple be moved forwardly by the lay. Again, the wire positioning guard is nearer the selvage than it is to the point of cutting in the shuttle box, therefore, the weight of that part of the thread hanging down from the wire will hold the horizontal part `of the thread in position for cutting independently of the blast of air. T'he general features of the pneumatic thread holder may be similar to those set forth in my co-pending application Serial No. 287,443 and the various mechanisms for effecting transfer and the behaviour of the incoming and outgoing bobbins at the time of transfer may all be as well understood in the prior art.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of 'the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a pneumatic thread removing system for a weft replenishing loom having a lay along which a shuttle travels in a given path, the loom having a reserve bobbin from which a weft end extends into the intake mouth of a pneumatic thread holder, and the loom having a thread extending from the selvage of the cloth along said given path of the shuttle, that improvement comprising a pneumatic thread remover having an outlet mouth facing in a direction transverse of the path of the shuttle, a pneumatic pump, pneumatic connections leading from the thread. holder to said pump and other pneumatic connections leading from the pump to the thread remover, said pump operating to draw air into the intake mouth of the holder through the rst named pneumatic connections to the pump to tension said weft end and blow the air which is drawn into the intake mouth through the second named pneumatic connections away from the pump and out of the outlet mouth of the remover across the path of the shuttle and against the thread attached to the selvage to move the last named thread away from said given path of the shuttle.

2. In a pneumatic thread controlling system for a weft replenishing loom having a reserve bobbin from which a weft end extends and in which another weft thread extends from the selvage along the path of the shuttle in a direction away from the cloth, said loom having a pneumatic thread holder with an intake mouth into which the weft end of a reserve bobbin extends, that improvement comprising a hollow pneumatic thread remover with a forwardly facing outlet mouth behind said thread which extends along the path of the shuttle, a pneumatic pump, pneumatic connections leading from the intake mouth to said pump, other pneumatic connections leading from the pump to said thread remover outlet, the pump drawing air into the intake mouth of the thread holder along the first of said connections to the pump to tension the weft end of the reserve bobbin and thereafter blow the air drawn into the intake mouth through the second of said connections and out of the outlet mouth to blow said thread extending along the path of the shuttle forwardly away from the latter.

3. In a pneumatic thread controlling system for a weft replenishing loom having a reserve bobbin from which a weft end extends and in which a weft thread extends from the selvage along the lay in a direction away from the cloth,

said loom having a pneumatic thread holder with an intake mouth into which the weft end of a reserve bobbin extends, that improvement comprising a pneumatic thread remover having a forwardly directed outlet mouth behind the thread extending away from the cloth, an air pump having inlet and outlet ports, hollow means to connect the inlet port pneumatically with the thread holder, other hollow means to connect the outlet port pneumatically with said thread remover, and means to operate the pump to cause the same to draw air into the intake mouth of the thread holder through the first named hollow means to tension the weft of the reserve bobbin and thereafter blow the air drawn into the first hollow means through said other hollow means and out of the outlet mouth of the thread remover to blow the thread extending from the cloth in a forward direction away from the lay.

4. In a pneumatic thread controlling system for a weft replenishing loom having a reserve bobbin from which a weft end extends and in which a weft thread extends from the selvage along the lay in a direction away from the cloth, said loom having a pneumatic thread holder with an intake mouth into which the weft end of a reserve bobbin extends, that improvement comprising a thread remover having an outlet mouth behind the thread, a centrifugal air pump having a port into which air is drawn and having a second port from which air is expelled, means to connect the thread holder pn'eumatically with the intake port, other means to connect the outlet port pneumatically with the thread remover, and means to operate the pump to cause the latter to draw air into the intake mouth and through the iirst means to the pump and thereby tension the weft end of the reserve bcbbin and thereafter blow the air thus drawn into the pump through said other means and out of the outlet mouth of the remover to project the thread extending away from the cloth in a forward direction.

5. In a pneumatic thread removing system for a weft replenishing loom having a lay along which a shuttle travels in a given path, the loom having a reserve bobbin from which a weft end extends into the intake mouth of a pneumatic thread holder, and the loom having a thread eX- tending from the selvage of the cloth along said given path of the shuttle, that improvement comprising a pneumatic thread remover having an orifice facing in a direction transverse of the path of the shuttle and adjacent to said thread extending from the selvage, a pneumatic pump, pneumatic connections leading from the thread holder to said pump and other pneumatic connections leading from the pump to the thread remover, said pump operating to draw air into the thread holder intake mouth through the first named connections to the pump to tension the weft end and blow the air which is drawn into said intake mouth through the second named pneumatic connection away from the pump to the thread holder to create a difference in atmospheric pressure between the air in the orifice and the air surrounding said thread attached to the selvage to move the last named thread away from said given path o-f the shuttle.

OSCAR V. PAYNE. 

